


Long after the troubles of our youth

by silklegend



Category: The Accountant (2016)
Genre: And so he does, Future Fic, Gen, No Braxton because I couldn't figure out how to casually mention him, because Braxton told Christian to come to him, but he's probably sitting in the car because Christian takes him to every funeral he goes to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 02:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10323803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silklegend/pseuds/silklegend
Summary: "Who knows what Aunty Dana was thinking, she always was a bit weird."The events after Dana's death.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know where this idea came from lmao. I have this huge monster of a fic planned where Braxton and Christian start working together but this little ficlet dropped like, fully formed in my lap and I had to write it.
> 
> I totally ignored a lot of things including the fact that presumably someone would have appraised all the art or that art collectors probably know what they're looking at and that "no strings attached money" does not exist but oh well. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it!

Dana Cummings lived a long and glorious life filled with beauty.

When she dies at 78, her will instructs that all her art must be auctioned off, and she lists the prices to start at for all of them.

Joanna is-for some unknown reason- the person in charge of all this. Who knows what Aunty Dana was thinking, she always was a bit weird.

Speaking of weird, the will explicitly states that the auction needs to happen before the funeral.

Joanna figures there is a reason. Sure, she could just have been crazy, but the old lady always seemed to know what she was doing, like some person was sending her vague instructions that when followed turned out magnificently.

There really is no other way to explain Dana Cummings bizarre investment strategy.

 

The auction items are displayed nicely across the room-mostly paintings mixed in with a few sculptures-and most people in the room are high priced art collectors and rich family friends.

It's the fact that she can sense all the rich and snobby in the room that the old guy at the back stands out right away.

He's standing stiffly-no not stiffly it's less rigid then that, he looks totally comfortable in his stance-upright, gaze never wavering from the auctioneer as he sells each piece of art.

Colour Joanna curious. His suit is tailored expertly so she can tell he has money but he makes no move to bid on anything, just keeps his gaze firmly forward, standing still and silent.

It's only when the auctioneer announces the final item that he takes any notice.

This is surprising. The final item on the list is the painting that Aunt Dana has had the longest and is also worthless, a Jackson Pollock rip off that she priced at the enormous sum of $12.

It's also the final kicker in her weird as inheritance. The will said that any profit made on the fake Pollock was to go directly to Joanna's accounts no strings attached.

The extended family had laughed their asses off when they heard that. Joanna had shrugged it off, organising everything had taken up way too much brainpower to listen to anything anyone else had to say.

The auctioneer opens the bidding at the aforementioned $12. Joanna barely notices the other people bidding on it, eyes fixed on the old man's face. It's pretty much blank, still intent on the auctioneer, but she thinks she sees a hint of sadness in it.

He lifts up his hand when the bidding has sort of stalled at $37, and Joanna leans forward.

"One million dollars." He says. His voice is soft and firm, but it carries over the shocked silence in the room easily.

"You must be joking." bursts out great uncle Isaiah.

The man's gaze barely flickers in his direction.

"I don't joke about money." he says calmly.

The auctioneer stammers a little bit, but he manages to get out "SOLD" and Joanna loses sight of him in the ensuing uproar.

  
It shouldn't be a surprise when Joanna turns up at the funeral home to see the same old man there holding a large bag, but it is.

"Can I help you?" she asks, a little suspiciously.

He looks towards her and she winces inwardly at the harshness of her tone.

"I have something for Dana." he says, lifting the bag a little, gaze flickering around.

"For Dana." she says flatly. "You can't be serious."

He meets her eyes briefly before they skitter away again.

"I'm always serious." he says, and his lips quirk up a little bit, as if remembering an old joke.

Joanna decides to let this slide for now.

"Why did you spend so much on a fake painting?" she asks.

"It was a gift that she kept all these years." he says softly, and Joanna is alarmed to see his eyes fill with unshed tears. "I wanted to acknowledge that."

He hands the bag to her and she takes it absently. He nods at her, and she looks down briefly to look at it and when she looks up again, he's gone.

She whirls around, trying in vain to see where he went. She huffs out a laugh at the ridiculousness of her day, and opens the bag only to stare at its contents.

A classic black Vera Wang.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah. Who even knows.


End file.
